The present invention relates to a docking device of a milking parlour comprising a rotary platform with a plurality of milking stall, wherein each milking stall comprises a first milk line connected to the platform and configured to receive milk from animals milked in the milking stall and a second milk line arranged separately from the platform, wherein the docking device comprises a first docking unit comprising an outlet opening of the first milk line and a second docking unit comprising an inlet opening of the second milk line, wherein one of the first docking unit and the second docking unit is configured to be moved towards the other docking unit and to reach a docking position when the respective milking stall on the rotary platform arrives at a specific rotary position.
On regular time basis, a sample of the milk from individual milking animals in a herd is taken. A milk sample may, for example, be taken once a day. The milk sampling process may be performed in connection with a milking process of the animals in a rotary milking parlour. In this case, a milk sampling apparatus is manually connected to a milk conduit in the respective milking stalls in proper order during a milk sampling process of the animals in a herd. The milk sampling apparatus may be provided with a fixed or removable rack supporting milk sampling tubes. The milk sampling apparatus may comprise a filling member capable of filling the respective sampling tubes with milk from the individual animals in the herd. When all milk sampling tubes are filled they are sent to the laboratory for analysis, in which various parameters such as contents of fat, protein, somatic cells and urea are examined.
WO 00/74472 shows a device and a method for transfer of milk from milking stalls on a rotary parlour. The milk from a milking process in a milking stall is initially collected in a local milking vessel. The milking stall rotates to a position in which an outlet of the milking vessel reaches a position vertically above a funnel of the common milk collector. The funnel is raised to a position at a small distance below the outlet. A shut off valve is open and milk flows from the local milking vessel, via the funnel, to a collection vessel. The amount of milk may be measured and the quality of the milk determined in a collection vessel. In this case, the milk comes in contact with surrounding air in the funnel. There is here a risk that the milk will be contaminated.